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Artificial Intelligence

  • Toys ‘R’ Us testing AR to make stores digital playgrounds

    Toys "R" Us is doubling down on its new brand positioning, “Today We Play.”   The retailer announced it has begun testing an augmented reality app, called Play Chaser, in 23 stores nationwide, with a chainwide roll-out planned for Oct. 21. Developed in partnership with PlayFusion, the free app allows users to activate different AR mini games and play experiences on their smart device while in Toys "R" Us stores.   

  • Five Common—and Costly—Omnichannel Mistakes

    Brick-and-mortar retailers collectively have staked their claim online, accounting for at least half of U.S. e-commerce sales. The trouble is, most of them are losing money at it.  

  • Specialty menswear retailer is introducing a new stylist — her name is Alexa

    A new Alexa skill is helping Perry Ellis’ customers dress for any occasion.   The menswear brand is assisting its shoppers with the “Ask Perry Ellis” Amazon Alexa skill. Called the first-of-its-kind, voice-activated skill, the technology supports a modern, frictionless shopping experience that enables customers to use their voice to find the right look, and shop for merchandise.   

  • Study: Nearly half of U.S. consumers ready to shop through IoT-driven devices

    Consumers are growing increasingly comfortable using connected devices for daily tasks — and shopping is not far behind.    As more devices connect to chatbots and virtual assistants, an increasing number of consumers are ready to embrace the automation and convenience delivered by IoT technologies. Nearly half of consumers (48%) said they would feel comfortable with a connected device, such as a refrigerator, ordering items on their behalf.  

  • Analysis: How acquisition of TaskRabbit will benefit Ikea

    The acquisition of TaskRabbit allows Ikea to efficiently remove one key barrier (the dislike of furniture assembly) for a segment of customers that have until this point avoided Ikea.  

  • Study: Online retailers at risk of losing $2.1 billion this holiday season

    More unauthorized product ads are hijacking the consumer experience — an issue that will cost retailers precious revenue this holiday season.    As unauthorized product ads are injected into consumer browsers — and appear on retailer sites — consumers are distracted from the retailer’s offerings. This disruption – known as online journey hijacking – cuts directly into retailers’ revenue, an issue that could cost companies $2.1 billion this holiday season.

  • Home furnishings giant enters ‘gig economy’ with acquisition

    Ikea Group has entered the booming market for on-demand services.      The home furnishings giant is acquiring TaskRabbit, an on-demand services platform company that connects customers with workers, called "taskers," that handle everyday needs such as furniture assembly, moving and packing, general handyman repairs, and home improvements. The price of the transaction was not revealed.  

  • Amazon doubles down on Echo—and then some

    Amazon's Echo is in expansion mode just in time for the holiday rush.   The online giant on Wednesday announced five new Echo products, along with several other new gadgets. And none of the items cost more than$150, TechCrunch reported. The new items include Echo Plus, which will do double duty by also serving as a hub for smart home devices.  
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